Engaging Ideas - 4/28/2017

Every week we curate stories and reports on complex issues. This week:
Moments of political pragmatism between urban Democrats and Republican governors. Why a “fight inequality!” rallying cry might not be so inspiring. Stories on how the voice of teachers and students are shaking up schools. And the narrow approach that misses the point to cut health care costs.

Democracy

Social
media may not be to blame for our political divisions
(Market Watch)
Never before have Americans seemed so politically divided. You can hear the
divisions in conversations at restaurants (particularly if you live in a swing
state). You can see the divisions via protest signs on the evening news. You
can look at the final outcome of the U.S. presidential election. And sometimes,
you can witness acrimony in the conversations on Facebook.

Unlikely
Political Allies: Urban Democrats and GOP Governors
(Governing)
Most states now are run by Republicans. Virtually all big cities, by contrast,
have Democratic mayors. That has led to a lot of conflict and a considerable
number of state laws preempting local initiatives. But while many Democratic
mayors are struggling to get a hearing from Republican legislators, a fair
number have been able to forge working partnerships with GOP governors.

How
political nuance could save America (The Guardian)
Many progressives trade in stereotypes about Kansas with childlike pride,
writes Sarah Smarsh. But to use geography to separate the righteous from the
scourge is dangerously simplistic.

Wikipedia’s
founder launched a fake-news fighting site. (The Guardian)
Jimmy Wales’ Wikitribune is an independent site for journalists and an army of
volunteer community contributors to work together to report, edit, and fact
check stories. The idea is that people who donate to the site will have a say
in coverage.

'Fight
Inequality!' Is a Poor Rallying Cry (Bloomberg View)
Inequality, of income or wealth, is one of the most frequently invoked ideas in
policy discussions today. Yet a study of the concept reveals uncomfortable
truths, namely that most Americans don’t mind inequality nearly as much as
pundits and academics suggest.

Teacher-Powered
Schools Take Root (Education Week)
Impact Academy at Orchard Lake in Minnesota is among a growing number of public
schools where teachers have a say in what goes on, from the learning approach
to staffing and scheduling.

Higher Education & Workforce Development

ASAP
Expands North and West (Inside Higher Ed)
Westchester Community College, which is part of the State University of New
York System, and Skyline Community College in California are the latest
campuses that are gearing up to try ASAP for the first time. At Skyline,
officials are estimating the cost per student will fall between $1,200 and
$1,400 a year. If the program goes full scale, or grows to about 500 students,
the college estimates it will cost $1.5 million a year. Westchester estimates
its ASAP model will cost between $3,000 and $4,500 a student. But with outside
grants, funding from the college and tuition from increasing student
persistence, Westchester is hopeful the program will become sustainable.

One
possible solution for the future of career and technical education (Hechinger
Report)
The 26 students, from four local public high schools, report to school at the
Volkswagen plant, a major new employer in the region. (The program, which
started in August, is expected to grow to include more students and other
employment tracks.) Students spend the morning in “lab time,” a flexible period
during which they are taking courses, such as algebra or trigonometry, through
the Edgenuity platform on a computer.

Policy
Snapshot: Guided Pathways to College Completion
(Education Commission of the States)
Based on a review of 2016 legislative activity that encourages or requires
higher education institutions to develop guided pathways strategies: At least
six states considered guided pathways legislation. Ten bills were introduced.
Two bills were enacted, six bills died and two bills are pending.

Health Care

Behind
The Health Care Reform Eight Ball (Forbes)
The core issue dividing GOP factions focuses on driving down the cost of
insurance premiums only. This narrow approach is a recipe for public relations
and policy failure. But if you couple insurance reforms to transparency in our
costs of actual care, a potent dynamic is unleashed. Our health care
marketplace is missing actual price tags.

America’s
Other Drug Problem (ProPublica)
Every year nursing homes nationwide flush, burn or throw out tons of valuable
prescription drugs. Iowa collects them and gives them to needy patients for
free. Most other states don’t.